Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-19
PRESTON HILLS LUCK.
A Fortune of $4,000 From a Man
He Never saw.


He Never saw.
From Neso York Letter 10 the PhiIadslDhtd
Press.
Richard J. Morrison, the public admin
istrator, to-day paid to William Preston
Hill $49, 261 As In cash and turned over to
him about $4,000 in bonds, stocks ana
jewelry, being his share OF the proceeds
OF the estate of man young Hill never
saw, and tomorrow the young man VIII
start for his home In st. Louis win thls
windfall in his pocket. The money be-
longed to the estate of Josephine y. nan
son, widow OF Louis Hanson. the twenty
third street tailor. who killed himself or
was killed bv his wife July 4, 1885, on
Storm King Mountain, near NeWourg,
n. Y.
Louis Hanson was Dane who was
brought here as a tailor's cutter. Ii
was a first-class workman ana saved
money enough to start in business. In
1880 or 1881, having been deserted oy
woman who had been living with MIN as
his wife, he advertised for housekeePer
and his advertisement was answered by
q woman who called herself Mrs. jose
phine Il. Hunter. she was well edu-
Gated, sprightly and good tslker'
and Hanson was fascinated. she
SAID that her name was Courte-
nav. brt that SHE had been mar.
ried at the age OF 10 TO Rudolph hun
ter, an officer in the Confederate service,
who died a few years later, and that she
had been a widow for eighteen years.
Within a week they we're engaged to be
married. A few days laIer he presented
10 her "A pair OF diamond earrings anu
81 GOO 10 pay for her wedding rousseau,
but she kept the money and had the bills
senC to him for payment after their mar
rage. He took her to Europe and lett
her there. She returned by way of Bos-
ton and again joined him in New York.
THE STORM KING TRAGEDY.
After her return she made herself so
disagreeable that he was compelled 10
leave her and 90 to a hotel, and she then
sued for limited divorce. The suit was
compromised after time and he agreed
to pay his wife $40 week. The papers
tor the legal separation were 10 be drawn
up and signed July ), 1885. On the Sd
Mrs. Hanson sent for her husband and
asked him to take her into the country
for the Attn, rs she WAS ill and
dreaded the noise OF the day in
the city, and he consented. The
next day they were alone on Storm King
Mountain. Two pistol shots were heard
and when help arrived Hanson was
found on the ground with bullet wound
in the head, pistol beside him and his
wife trying to stanch the blood from his
wound with her handkerchief. He was
unconscious and died in few minutes.
In explanation of the tragedy, sue said
that her husband had become angry and
fired one shot at her, and then placed the
pistol to his head and fired again.
1t was said that there were no powder
marks about the wound in Hanson's
head, and that while he himself did not
own a revolver and never carried one,
his wife not only owned one, but knew
how to use it. 1t was also reported that
Mrs. Hanson had tried to induce man to
kill her husband, and upon his refusal
had said: "If you don't, l will" These
and other circumstances connected with
the tragedy raise a grave suspicion as to
the truth of her story, but in the mean
time she had disappeared and nothing
was done.
WHAT SOME LETTERS REVEALED.
Hanson died intestate, leaving an estate
valued at $156,472 70. This the widow
put in the hands of the public admins
traitor for settlement, and three months
later. and before the estate was settled,
she started for Australia in company
with another man, 1t was said. She died
on shipboard before reaching San Fran
cisco. Her trunks were opened there
ana leJl6Ts WeIS IOuuu anu COIItSpOu-
dence ensued between the Pacific Steam
ship Company and the public admins
traitor here. A photograph of the woman
was sent to San Francisco and identified
by the stewardess of the vessel, and her
trunks were sent back TO this city. ln
the trunks were bundles of letters which
disclosed many facts not known
heretofore. From these it was
learned that her maiden Dsme was JO-
sephine K. Behrens, not Josephine K.
COurtenay, as she had claimed, and that
she had been married in st. Louis when
quite young to one BrittOn A. Hill, by
whom she had one son, William Preston
Hill. She was divorced from Hill. Mr..
Morrison, the public administrator,
thereupon opened correspondence with
young Hill, who is doctor, residing In
st. LOUIS, about 30 years of age and mar
ried, and two weeks ago he came to New
York with the proofs of his identity and
his right to the money left by his mother
as his share of the Hanson estate. The
sum of $63, 1873 % has been paid to Han
sons two sisters in Denmark as theiI
share. The money, after deducting ex.
penses, intending attorneys fees, amount.
ing to s16,3l6 IA, was paid to him to-day
al dv